Friendshipaversary

Almost 20 (20!) years ago, I met this girl.  She was in my 4th grade class.  The first week of school we both got eraser clapping as our classroom duty, so we got to go outside and whack chalk dust from erasers and talk about whatever 9-year-olds talk about.

To make a long story short, we never stopped talking.

That sweet friend ended up at the University of Maryland with me almost 10 (10!) years ago, along with three other ladies whom I know I will count as friends for my entire life.  In the last ten years we have been through college and grad school, stupid boyfriends and good boyfriends, beach trips and bar trips, moving in and moving out, getting sick and getting better, engagements and weddings, first babies and first doggies.  We've each faced things like cancer and loss and surgery and unexpected turns.  We've all traveled and looked at each other's pictures and celebrated new houses and suggested paint colors.  We've had baby showers and bachelorette parties and you know what?  There's only more to come.  Good, bad, ugly and beautiful I know we'll all be there to celebrate and to cry, even if we don't see each other as much as we'd like and have crazy lives and work schedules.

I think the neat thing about having "old" friends is that they, more than anyone else, know that the more things change the more they stay the same.  My old friends know and love me for exactly who I am, faults and all.  There's something really grounding about that, that even when things are crazy or your life is scattered and you're trying to reassemble the pieces you are somehow just as much you as ever when you are with them- the friends who know you.    

Uh, Mom?  In case you were wondering, I still have your blue jersey dress.  It looks cute with a crochet vest! 

So on Friday night we convened in Baltimore for dinner and wine and frozen yogurt.  We reminisced about chicken cordon blu and taking weight lifting together.  We talked about my baby and their jobs and where we're all going for summer vacations.  And we promised to do it more often.

Each one of these girls is desperately different.  Each one is brilliant.  (No, really.)  Each one is changing her little corner of the world in her own way.  And each one is my friend.

Also, each one is a runner.  Except me.  I will never be a runner.  I am more of a walker/sitter/layer downer.


Love you girls!       

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